Calculating equipment



.1.. KozMA Erm. 2,283,999

CALCULATAING EQUIPMENT Filed Oct. 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1942 IMay 26, 1942. L. KOZMA Em 2,283,999

CALCULATING EQUIPMENT Filed oct. 27, 1959 '3 sheets-sheet 2 Fig. 3.

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O tmc 00 May 26, 1942. l.. KozMA Erm. 2,283,999

CALCULATING EQUIPMENT lter/26u Patented May 26, 1942 CALCULATING EQUIPMENT Ladislas Koma and Jakob Kruithof, Antwerp, 4

Belgium, assigner: to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1939, Serial No. 301,596 In Great Britain October 21, 1938 (Cl. 23S-61) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to calculating equipment. The object of the invention is to provide calculating equipment in an economical manner for a number of users each of whom only re` problems, for instance.

The calculating equipment may provide any desired calculations. The equipment can, for in\ stance, perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but of course any desired one or more of these and other calculating facilities may be provided in a calculating service for a number of operators.

According to the main feature of the invention a calculating service comprises at least one calculating equipment capable of receiving calculation problems, of performing calculations, and of transmitting results, a plurality of operator equipments each comprising problem transmitting means, result-responsive means, and means for indicating results to an operator, callresponsive means associated with the calculating equipments and connected by signal channels to the operators equipments, so as to respond to a call signal from an operator and to connect an idle calculating equipment to said operators equipment via a signal channel for use in making a calculation sent by the calling operator.

'I'he invention will be clearly understood from the following description of one embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a block schematic of a centralised calculating equipment involving the invention,

Fig. 2 is an operators problem sending and solution printing set,

Figs. 3 and 3A when placed side by side show a line and access circuit for connecting electrical signal channels from operators sets to calculating units.

Fig. 4 represents a calculating equipment.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, operators sets OSI, OS2, are each connected by signal channels to individual line circuits LCI, LC2, which are associated with an access equipment AE through which any line circuit can be connected to a calculating equipment or any one of a plurality of calculating equipments CEI, 2 when idle. Two sets of all-mains rectifier equipment Cil are provided. a small equipment SR. normally active for supplying the line circuits with current, and a large normally inactive equipment MR which is rendered active when a line circuit is operated to feed the calculator equipment.

Each of the calculator equipments CEI, CE2 may be of any known type which is controlled by electric signals representing a problem incoming over a plurality of conductors and is operative to transmit over a plurality of conductors signals representing the solution. Each of the operators sets OSI, OS2 may comprise any known type of signal sending and signal receiving means that corresponds to the type of calculator equipments used, i. e., which is adapted tol transmit the appropriate type of signals for representing a problern and to print or otherwise indicate the solution in response to the kind of solution signals transmitted by the calculator equipments. The preferred forms of calculator equipment and operators equipments are those disclosed in British patent specification 525,330 accepted August 27, 1940, and published in printed form shortly thereafter as well as in U. S. application Serial No. 303,504, filed November 9, 1939, such apparatus requiring only 15 wires for the signals between an operators set and a calculator equipment. Accordingly, the present invention is shown with a switching capacity of l5 wires between an operators set and a calculator unit. The invention is, however, applicable quite generally to electric signaling equipment of all types, although its features are particularly advan tageous for electrically controllable calculator equipments.

General description of equipment 'Ihe portions of the operators sets OSI, OS2 and calculator equipments CEI, CE2, which particularly relate to the present invention are shown in Figs. 2 and 4 respectively. 'I'hese portions include a start key 3 in each operators set, and a contact NC in each calculating unit, which is associated with the mechanism f such unit so as to be opened each time a signal is received by said unit from an operators position and to be reclosed only after the calculation (if any) which results from such signal has been performed. The function of the contact NC will appear from the detailed description of operation. The function of the start key 3 is to seize and hold a calculating unit equipment until the startA key is finally restored, when the calculating unit is restored to normal and is available to another operator.

The access equipment is arranged for seveny sets to the calculator circuits.

Description of Operation When an operator wants to use the calculator. he has to'throw the starting key S, Fig. 2. Relay St, Fig. 3, operates from ground via lead II, key S, lead I6, winding of St, battery. In turn the common starting relay Cs energisos via coI, stl: thus energising the clutch magnet RLM via cs2. rst back; therefore the sequence switch RL starts to rotate. When it reaches the calling position, which in the case shown is I/2, Rs operates from ground via the winding of that Co relay associated with operators set I, stl, RLDD in position I, bdlI back, Rs winding. ,The above traced circuit of RLM is opened at rsl back, so that RL stops. Relay Co of the operators line circuit energises in series with Rs. 'I'he operation of Co opens the above traced circuit of Cs at Col back, thus releasing Cs; switches-through the line wires I4, I to wires Ill, IIS; and connects service meter SM to a contact in arc tmb of marker switch T operable by magnet TM.

When the operator restores his start key S, relay St releases, rfollowed by Co and Rs. Magnet RLM can now be operated by any other waiting call.

During all the time the calculator is kept occupied the marker T is advanced by the interrupter NRI, which closes about every seconds, NRI, rsl, magnet TM. One revolution of T therefore represents 150 seconds and the service meter SM of the calling operator will be energised periodically in order to measure the occupation time.

If a call is originated, e. g. from operators set OSI. whilst the calculator is engaged by another operator, e. g., at operators set OS2, the manipulations of the employing operator at OS2 will be checked as follows to determine whether he is actively using the calculator.

The throwing of key S at OSI to originate a call operates St which in turn operates Cs as in the case earlier described, but energisation of RLM to rotate switch RL does not immediately follow, since Rs is now held operated just as in the case earlier described, except that it is in series with that Co relay (not shown) which is associated with OS2.

Under such condition with Cs held by the attempted call by OSI Tm will operate from battery NC Fig. 4, lead II'I, winding of Tm Fig. 3, thence via tmc, cs3 when wiper tmc reaches its last terminal, and will lock over cs2, nl, tml, Tm, wire III, NC (assuming that a code-sending or calculating operation is not taking place at this very instance). When switch T reaches its tenth position relay Bd is operated via tml, tmc, csi. The consequence of this will be that Rs releases becausevof the opening of its circuit at bdll back. .The release of Rs permits RLM to be energised over Csi, Rsi back and the sequence switch runs on to the other calling operator, e. g. to position I/2. The line equipment of the disconnected operator becomes again in calling condition and the calculator will be connected back as soon as the second operator has nnished his calculations.

The disconnection may be signalled to the operator to be disconnected by the printing ofa zero due to the operation of relay Bd, which co1 nects earth to wire Il to operate suitable prin*` ing means in OS2, before the sequence switch R moves. It is assumed that the energisation I wire Il alone will cause the printing of zero' i OSI, but if a different type of operators set employed Bdl may be modied to transmit correspondingly different signal-l, is operata Fig. 2, a zero is printed.

Earth via rs! and lead IIB operates lamp Sl Also the ground on lead IIB may serve to plac the calculating equipment in condition for cal culation if the latter is of the type requiring suc preparation.

What is claimed is:

'1. A calculating system comprising electrical] controllable calculator means for performing computation and transmitting answer signal representing the result thereof, a tlrst transmit ting-and-receiving equipment for transmittin control signals suitable for controlling said cal culator means -and for indicating the result rep resented by the answer signals from said calcula t-or means, a second similar transmitting-and receiving device, rst and second call signa1lin| devices respectively associated with said rst am second transmitting-and-receiving equipment: means responsive to actuation of said ilrst cal signalling device for connecting said tlrst trans mitting-and-receiving equipment to said calcu lator means, disconnect means for disconnectim said first equipment from said calculator mean responsive to the condition that successive oper ations of said calculator means are separated b: more than a predetermined time interval, sail disconnect means being rendered operative re sponsive to actuation of said second call sigI nailing device.

2. A calculator system according to claim further comprising signalling means responsiv to the operation of said disconnect means io` transmitting to said first transmitting-and-re ceiving equipment a signal representing a force: disconnection.

3. A calculating system comprising electrically controllable calculator means for performing l computation and transmitting answer signals rep resentlng the result thereof, a first transmittingand-receiving equipment for transmitting contro signals suitable for controlling said calculatm means and for indicating the result represente( by the answer signals from said calculator means a second similar transmitting-and-receivim equipment, first and second call Signalling devices respectively associated with said rst anc' second transmitting-and-receiving equipments, a sequence switch having a plurality of cams and s plurality of groups ot brushes wiping thereover a first group of leads connecting said calculator means to a group of said brushes each wiping over a diiferent one of said cams. two further groupe of leads respectively connecting said two transmitting-and-receiving equipments to two furthe! groups of said brushes, said cams being formed to make connection from said rst group of leads successively to one and then to the other of said two further groups of leads upon rotation of said sequence switch, first switch control means responsive to actuation of said rst call signalling device for rotating said sequence switch to a position eifecting the ,connection between said rst transmitting-and-receiving device and said calculator, and further switch control means responsive to actuation of said second call signalling levicc for rotating said sequence switch to a oition erecting the connection between said cond transmitting-and-receiving device and :aid calculator.

4. A calculating system according to claim 3 .'urther comprising disabling means for disabling laid further switch control means responsive to :he condition that said iirst transmitting-andreceiving device is connected to said calculator. and re-enabling means for re-enabling said second switch control means responsive to the condition that successive operations of said calculator are separated by more than a predetermined time interval.

LADISLAS KOZMA.

JAKOB KRUITHOF. 

